Rochester — The quiet of a December morning was shattered this week when demolition crews, clearing debris from a fire-ravaged vacant church on Forbes Street, uncovered the remains of a woman. Police have now identified her as 39-year-old Laticia Hollins, a Rochester resident whose life ended amid the charred remains of the once-standing Trinity Inter-Faith Church.
Crews first responded to the blaze at the long-abandoned building around 10 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, when flames broke out and quickly escalated to a third-alarm fire. Firefighters battled the intense blaze for hours, eventually bringing it under control, but the structure was so badly damaged that officials believed it was uninhabited at the time.
It wasn’t until Thursday, December 11, as a contractor sifted through debris ahead of planned demolition, that the grim discovery was made. The worker immediately alerted authorities, and police and fire investigators returned to the scene. With heavy equipment and protective crews now on site, they located Hollins’ body deep within the rubble.
Captain Frank Umbrino of the Rochester Police Department said investigators believe Hollins died as a result of the fire, though the exact cause and timeline of her death have not been publicly confirmed. Officials emphasize that determining the origin of the fire and how Hollins came to be inside the building remains a complex task. The city’s Arson Task Force and fire investigators continue to comb through evidence.
Neighbors and community members are left with more questions than answers. Police acknowledged that the vacant church was known to attract people seeking shelter, including individuals experiencing homelessness or struggling with addiction. But authorities have been careful not to speculate on Hollins’ reasons for being inside the forsaken structure on the morning of the fire.
Officials stress the dangers posed by abandoned buildings, particularly those weakened by fire. Structural instability can hide hazards and delay crucial searches, often turning routine demolition or cleanup into a painstaking investigation. In this case, conditions after the initial fire prevented a full internal search, leaving portions of the building inaccessible until debris was being cleared.
Family members and friends have not publicly commented, but community reaction has been one of sorrow and concern. Local leaders have offered condolences to Hollins’ loved ones and urged residents to respect their privacy as detectives work to piece together her final hours. The investigation remains active, with no determinations yet on whether the fire was accidental or intentionally set.
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